1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and a computer program product, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and a computer program product with a capability of avoiding wasteful printing by reliably executing combined copy of originals including personal information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a technique for reading and combining a plurality of originals to integrate these into one sheet of paper, and printing these in one copy (hereinafter, “combined copying”) has been known. The reading of plural originals is performed by automatically feeding the originals using an auto document feeder or the like, or by manually placing originals on an original glass to read the originals one by one. An original having a shape that cannot be fed by an ADF such as an ID card is generally placed manually on the original glass to read it.
In combined copying in which originals are manually arranged on an original glass and read one by one, the apparatus cannot automatically determine whether reading of all originals has been completed. Therefore, completion of reading of all the originals is informed to the apparatus by setting a predetermined read time in advance or by triggering by a user by pressing a specific button or the like. Specifically, when reading of the next original is not started within the predetermined read time or a trigger is not generated, the apparatus determines that the reading is completed, and starts printing.
Recently, there are many occasions on which a document such as a driving license including personal information written thereon is copied by a copying machine and the copied document is used for personal authentication. When a document including personal information is to be copied, particular attention is needed to prevent unauthorized use and leakage of the personal information. Therefore, an image processing technique for copying documents including personal information has been developed.
For example, in an image processing apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-074088, when an original of a predetermined size including personal information is copied, only a desired information element included in the original is selectively output. Specifically, by holding a coordinate position of personal information included in the original of a predetermined size (a driving license or the like), processing such as masking is performed with respect to the information to be protected and then a copied document is output.
Further, an image processing apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2008-199428 specifies a type of information medium by calculating the size of the information medium from an input image, to determine a position of a characteristic image expressing personal information according to the type of the information medium, and masks an area where the characteristic image is present. Thus, it is possible to prevent copying of undesired images.
However, in the image processing apparatuses described in the above patent documents, although printing of undesired images is prevented, it cannot be prevented that personal information is erroneously printed when read and accumulation of image data are not completed. That is, when originals are manually placed one by one on an original glass to read originals and a plurality of read originals are combined and copied, output may be performed with only image data elements already accumulated even if read has not been completed yet, because the apparatus cannot correctly determine the completion of read. The image processing apparatuses described in the above patent documents do not consider prevention of such cases.
Management of documents including personal information is important, and generation of unnecessary copies is not desired. Therefore, it is desired to perform printing only when reading and accumulation of image data are completed and to prevent generation of unnecessary copies.